By Mo Mydlo
We went for an evening golf cart ride with our friends after dinner Sunday night. We have a paved neighborhood behind our farm that has been building beautiful houses and it’s been fun to go out back of our property and drive around the neighborhood on a paved road just to enjoy God’s beauty all around. The grandkids love “the long ride” on the golf cart which simply means, we take a circle around that gated community.
Well, we went Sunday night and the gate was closed. We knew it would happen eventually as these homeowners purposely bought in a gated community for added protection and peace. I guess enough homes were built to justify shutting the gate now.
For a second we thought “oh shoot, how will we ever get three toddlers down for a nap without our sure fire long ride? But, oh well, I guess we will rock longer on the porch swing.
This morning I thought about the gate being closed. I thought about what the Bible says about “The Gate.” Oh y’all, this is good.
Do you know Jesus talks about “entering through the Narrow Gate”?
Matthew 7:13 says ““Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14 NIV
I love that scripture so much we named our farm, “Narrow Gate Estate.”
Do you also know that Jesus is The Gate?
John 10:7-9 says. “Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”
John 10:7-9
Yall, Jesus tells us to enter through The Narrow Gate and He also tells us, He is The Gate.
What does that mean to you?
To me, it means, there is one gate into eternal life in Heaven and though you may think that’s too narrow minded, I would say, “Yes, you are right.” It’s narrow and exclusive.
Only Jesus followers, only Gate Code possessors enter in.
The Word does not allow for much debate on this. The Word says, “He who has The Son has life. He who has not The Son has not life.
The Word tells us in The Book of Luke that The Gate will eventually shut. ““Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.”
Luke 13:24-28 NIV
So, from studying this, I have a strong urgency on me to say to you, choose to enter now while the gate is open.
Right now, we all know the code. It is “Jesus is Lord.” The code is open to everyone who punches it in. We are all granted access to The Gates of eternal life as long as we believe Jesus died on the cross for us, believe God raised Him from the dead and believe in our hearts Jesus is Lord and say it with our mouths.
The code to The Gate is heart and voice activated.
Friends, acquaintances, strangers, do you know The Code? If not, you aren’t getting in.
When we pulled up to the gate the other night and it was shut Tommy Mydlo thought, we will figure this out. I’ll talk to a neighbor. I’ll make sure we get access. I said “No Tommy. We aren’t citizens of that neighborhood. The gate is closed and we are no longer going in.”
But, yall. I am a citizen of Heaven. I have the code for eternal life. My name is written in The Lambs Book of Life. I’m guaranteed entrance. I can’t sin away my code. I can’t disappoint away my code. I can’t mess up my ability to maintain the code. It’s sealed in stone, because I have Jesus.
Do you?
Do you know the code?
Have you made sure your name is on the guest list at The Wedding Supper of The Lamb?
It’s an exclusive club, but the entrance fee is free. Jesus already paid the price with His blood.
We are saved by grace through faith. There’s nothing we can do to get on the guest list, except believe and confess, Jesus is Lord.
Say it today my friend.
Believe it today.
Because The Gate won’t stay open forever. Make sure you know the code.